The first day of the legal tampering period has come and gone and it was a wild one. It was so wild that the Indianapolis Colts even made an unprecedented move, trading a first-round pick for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
Now equipped with a shiny new three-technique, the Colts still have some work to do in the market. Could they bring in a quarterback like Philip Rivers? Will they add depth to the wide receiver room? The moves seem unknown at this point, especially given how shocking it was that Chris Ballard made such a big trade on the first day of free agency.
[lawrence-related id=40553]
Regardless, there are still options on the market for the Colts to consider. Here are seven remaining free agents for Indy:
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Philip Rivers | QB | Age: 38
Whether we like it or not, Rivers and the Colts are going to be connected until he finds a new team—wherever that may be. The two sides have already been in contact since the legal tampering period opened on Monday and it seems the situation is beginning to take life.
After the trade for Buckner, Rivers would cost nearly half of the Colts’ remaining salary cap space, which currently sits at roughly $46 million. That’s still a strong number but one that Ballard is likely feeling a bit cautious with when considering the draft pool money and the rollover money for 2021.
Still, Rivers is likely viewed as the free agent with the highest chance of joining the Colts.
The Dallas front office seems content to let DE Robert Quinn field offers in free agency, but are expected to try to bring him back.
The Cowboys have a long list of players who the front office has said they’d like to bring back. But as Monday’s tag deadline passed and the legal tampering period got underway, Jerry and Stephen Jones didn’t make many moves to actually do it.
Yes, they used the franchise tag on Dak Prescott, but that’s universally seen as just a stall tactic to buy them more negotiating time. The other players who Dallas let hit the open market could practically field an All-Star team. And one of last season’s most potent additions is reportedly already generating some buzz from shoppers.
DE Robert Quinn garnering a lot of interest now that the legal tampering window has opened. Dallas is not among then yet but are expected to make a run at him at some point per source informed. #Cowboys
Jerry Jones has been open about wanting to keep Quinn on the roster, raving about him last month in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Jerry Jones called Cowboys DE Robert Quinn “one of the top people — people, players and people — that I’ve ever been associated with. He’s the real deal. … He really helped us last year. So I’m hopeful that we can do something to keep him.” Contract set to expire on March 18.
Quinn has expressed a desire to stay with the Cowboys, too.
“At first I joined a locker room full of strangers, and then they became friends and some of them became brothers,” he told Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan in January. “You love when things happen like that.”
Quinn was acquired by Dallas almost exactly one year ago in exchange for a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft. Quinn went on to log 11.5 sacks, his best total since 2013. That he did so on a new team in just 14 games, after a highly questionable two-game suspension, shows that, at 29, the former first-round pick is still a force to be reckoned with along the defensive line.
“Overall, I guess I proved to people I’ve still got it,” Quinn said after the season ended. “Personally, my standards are a little bit higher than what I achieved this year. I expect more out of myself. But I guess you can look at the pluses. In some way, it was a pretty good season. But I’m hard on myself. I always want more.”
Now an unrestricted free agent, Quinn may, in fact, get more. And it may come from a new team’s checkbook.
“It’s a business,” Quinn admitted. “You know how it goes. I’ve never been a free agent before, so it’s an interesting process I’m about to go through. We’ll just sit back and see what happens.”
Finally. The CBA has been ratified; the 2020 salary cap has been set. It’s time for the business business; creating the next version of the Dallas Cowboys. The club has question marks at so many levels and with a new set of coaches for the first …
Finally. The CBA has been ratified; the 2020 salary cap has been set. It’s time for the business business; creating the next version of the Dallas Cowboys. The club has question marks at so many levels and with a new set of coaches for the first time in its.been.84.years.gif, there are full-scale question marks about what kind of product the club can and will put on the field.
By and large, the 2019 season feels like a disappointment wrapped in a gut punch tied off with an anchor, sinking a talented group of players no longer inspired to perform for their coach. For whatever flaws Jason Garrett had, getting his team to consistently play hard was never a question until last year. Allegations abounded from fans over some players giving the 10 and forgetting the 100% part and enough outings where the club looked unprepared to compete.
Three years is the time frame teams use to gauge a club; either it’s a three-year window to compete in, or a three-year plan to reach being competitive.
In 2019, we advocated starting a three-year window. Garrett was a lame-duck coach (a decision we feel contributed to the disappointing results) and young players were either up for, or nearing the time to redo their deals.
Now in 2020, some of those deals are done and a majority of others are ready to be inked. The club has a new head coach and Mike McCarthy certainly wasn’t hired with a rebuild in mind. Dallas wants to win, and expect to in the next two years.
Beyond that, issues along the offensive line will start to come into play and there will be major decisions at that point. In addition, Dallas will have to decide how they want to allocate their 2020 and 2021 money prior to the new TV deals kicking in and the huge jumps in the salary cap.
The new CBA being in place brings a key factor to contract projections. There is no more 30% rule.
The previous CBA mandated any contract year beyond 2020 could rise no more than 30% over the prior year value. That meant backloading contracts was basically outlawed.
That’s an important precedent to change, considering how major new TV deals were in exploding the NBA’s salary structure. Similar should be expected for the NFL, which means there should be a lot of leeway in being able to sign stars to deals that compensate them should they continue to excel, but still give teams the outs the covet by not having guaranteed salaries beyond three years.
Still, that doesn’t mean everyone makes it to the Valley Beyond. Some of these dudes are getting left in Westworld, Shogunworld, Rajworld or one of the other six parks. These violent delights.
It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday
Several players who went from Boys II Men with Dallas, but their time with the club has reached the End of the Road.
Do Not Re-Sign
TE Jason Witten: Witten has given everything to this organization, but his presence is no longer wanted. Even if ultimately the problem was Garrett wouldn’t stand up to him and give him that sideline seat and a bottle of Ensure, watching him dominate snap counts when Blake Jarwin was out-producing him by over three yards a catch was infuriating.
WR Tavon Austin: Remember back in the offseason before 2018, when Stephen Jones said they were going to get Austin over 20 touches a game? He barely got 20 touches in two seasons. Exciting talent, never healthy.
I’m also not really considering bringing back OL Xavier Su’a-Filo, DL Michael Bennett, LB Ray-Ray Armstrong or Malcolm Smith, CB CJ Goodwin, safety Darian Thompson or DL Kerry Hyder and Christian Covington.
Likely Too Expensive
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
WR Amari Cooper: As of writing this, it certainly feels like Cooper is going to reach free agency and there’s now a solid chance he ends up somewhere other than Dallas. That will mean they traded their 2019 first-round pick for 25 regular season games, two postseason contests and possibly a 2021 third-round comp pick.
Was it worth it?
Not having Cooper long-term brings things back to the argument made on this site when Cooper was first drafted. If an extension doesn’t happen, they gave up too much.
Now, we will back off of that some. Because of the failed approach the club took to start 2018, they were setting themselves up to not know whether they should’ve invested in Prescott. Cooper was the bona fide No. 1 receiver that allowed them to fully evaluate Prescott, so the trade was indeed worth more than the 25 games Cooper played.
Despite how well Cooper started the 2019 season, his total body of work moves him up some from our projections that called for $15.3 million a season last February, but to around $16.5 million a year if there was going to be a long-term agreement. It’s a strong possibility, but for a player who has the road yips and — despite playing through them all so far — has a storied injury history, making him the No. 5-paid receiver is my personal ceiling.
Adjusted for 17 games (more on that when we get to Prescott), we’d put Cooper at $17.5 million per season, and he’s likely going to get substantially more than that.
Our preferred game plan this offseason was to have Prescott’s deal done, tag Cooper for 2020 and get at least one more year out of the trade. Draft a Day 1 or 2 WR in April. A possible second tag in 2021 and then definitely let him walk so that the money will be freed up to give Michael Gallup his deal in 2022.
Alas, we are not in charge.
Here’s what we think it would take to sign Cooper long-term.
Likely Amari Cooper Contract
5 years, $100M, $20M AAV
$40M FULLY g’teed INCLUDES $20M S. bonus
$56M TOTAL G’TEE (’22 BASE)
Year
Base Salary
Prorated SB
Roster Bonus
Cap Number
Running Cash Total
2020
$5,000,000
$4,000,000
$9,000,000
$25,000,000
2021
$15,000,000
$4,000,000
$19,000,000
$40,000,000
2022
$16,000,000
$4,000,000
$20,000,000
$56,000,000
2023
$21,000,000
$4,000,000
$25,000,000
$77,000,000
2024
$23,000,000
$4,000,000
$27,000,000
$100,000,000
TOTAL
$80,000,000
$20,000,000
CB Byron Jones: This is a disappointing stanza to type, but the Cowboys have made it clear they aren’t bringing him back, so why waste a lot of ink on it? Jones is likely going to get a five-year, $80-88 million deal in free agency. The Cowboys could afford it, as we proved last season, but do not want to spend that much money on him. The team had to be talked into picking up his fifth-year option a couple seasons ago. This has been a long-time coming.
DT Maliek Collins: People think that 3-tech DTs have to be the level of Aaron Donald and consistently approach double-digit sacks to be worth their money, but Collins was extremely solid. He ranked 21st among DTs in sacks since he came into the league. He will likely price himself out of the Dallas rotation, though. He’s likely going to sign a 3 or 4-year deal averaging around $8 million per season.
S Jeff Heath: Heath reminds me of Anthony Hitchens from a couple years ago. He wasn’t anywhere as good as some fans made him out to be, but someone is going to pay him far more than he’s worth and he’ll be somewhere else. Should’ve been upgraded from a while ago. Don’t be shocked if Heath makes around $4 million a season to be someone’s starter next year.
Release These Guys
OT Cameron Fleming: The Cowboys are going to miss Tyron Smith for three games a year. Fleming has not inspired confidence in his time replacing the future Hall of Famer. He has a $4 million base salary and $500,000 roster bonus that would come off the books if released. My preference is to draft an OT in the top 4 rounds to be Smith’s eventual (four years down the road) successor and sign a player similar to the deal they gave Fleming out of New England. A quick $4.5 million more in space.
P Chris Jones: Jones hasn’t been good since he signed his expensive contract coming off his Puntisher season. Getting excited about guys doing things that aren’t really their job? Probably a bad idea. Releasing him saves another $1.4 million off the cap.
PAY CUT This Guy
DT Tyrone Crawford: Crawford missed all but two games in 2019. He seemed to finally be hitting his groove in 2018, but then got in an offseason brawl and things went downhill from there with both hips going back. Reduce is base pay from $8 million to $2.5 million and incentivize the other $5.5 million to not-likely-to-be-earned (NLTBE) bonuses so they don’t count against the cap. Maybe $4 million in active-roster bonuses and another $1.5 million in tiered performance bonuses (5 sacks, 7 sacks, 9 sacks). Saves $5 million in cap space.
Restructure This Guy (IF NECESSARY)
OG Zack Martin: Of the three highly-paid offensive lineman (La’el Collins is a steal), Martin is the only one that makes sense on a restructure. Smith’s deal is still great, but he may not make it through five more seasons and Frederick’s play wasn’t up to par with what it was before Guillaine-Barre struck his 2018 campaign. His strength will hopefully return to normal in 2020, but the team should see it first. Meanwhile Martin is one of the best in the game and has five years remaining to spread out the amortization of a restructure bonus.
Martin’s base is $11 million, turn $10 million into a restructure bonus, put $2 million on top of the next four years cap hits and save $8 million in cap space. I don’t know if Dallas will need this space, but I want to have it ear-marked in case my spending gets the best of me.
Total amount of space saved in these moves: $18.9 million.
On top of the Cowboys projected $72 million after Sunday’s cap announcement, these moves give Dallas $90.9 million of space to play with.
So let’s start signing people. Click the “next” button…
The Indianapolis Colts are preparing for free agency to begin this week as it is currently slated to do and with that should come some interest in the market for defensive ends.
With an abundance of salary-cap space (over $80 million), the Colts can essentially go after any free agent they want. They won’t, of course, because general manager Chris Ballard is very calculated and cautious when it comes to adding big contracts in free agency. But there are still players they should consider targeting before the price gets too out of hand.
Here are six defensive ends the Colts should consider in free agency:
AP Photo/Chris Szagola
Jadeveon Clowney | Seattle Seahawks | Age: 27
When the franchise tags are all official, Clowney will be the biggest fish in the free agent market. One could argue he was regardless, but it will be official by Monday. Clowney possesses all of the potential in what an elite defensive end can bring to a defense.
He’s a freak athlete that combines insane size, speed and power at one of the most crucial positions across the entire roster. There are concerns with his game of course. He’s a stout run defender and sets the edge with near perfection, but his pass-rushing leaves a little to be desired. He’s still strong in this area, but he’s never had a season with double-digit sacks.
There is also the question of durability. Over his six-year career, Clowney has missed 21 games (most of which came in 2014). But if he’s commanding $21 million per year on the market, the Colts will need availability from him.
Clowney would be intriguing to add to the defensive line and while it is unlikely the Colts will sign him when looking at the big picture, he should be considered at the very least.
The Coronavirus has effected major collegiate and professional sports. The NFL trying to stay the course. New league year to start on time
The news had a different feel to it today. Today is being considered the day that sports, both collegiate and professional, came to a complete stop.
COVID-19, otherwise being billed as the coronavirus, has the majority of the sports world at a stand still but the NFL is doing their very best to keep all of the league’s key off-season dates unfazed. There will be plenty of alterations to all of the teams travel situations but for the most part, the NFL is planning to begin their new league year right on time.
The NFL and it’s 32 teams will know of the results of the new CBA vote come Sunday morning. The legal tampering period for NFL free agency is still set to begin Monday. Wednesday the work becomes official with the start of the new league year and they are off to the races. It’s sometimes hard to think about sports and throwing around millions of dollars at high profile free agents in a time like this, but sometimes, sports can be a major outlet to distract fans from the craziness that today’s world is facing. Here are today’s news links.
There are currently no plans for the NFL to shift the NFL new league year start time despite the Coronavirus. Take a look at what the NFL plans to do to handle this historic situation.
The legal tampering period of NFL free agency begins this Monday. With the Cowboys having just under $77 million in cap space, there’s plenty of money to spend. But, on who?
Free agent cornerback Byron Jones is about the shatter the market with his new contract. Unfortunately it may not be with the Cowboys. Here are some moves the Cowboys can make to ease the pain.
Cowboys were one of 27 teams who attended Gary Zauner's free agent combine this week for NFL specialist hopefuls. Pro scouting coordinator Henry Sroka represented the organization in Gilbert, Arizona. Team is closely monitoring the talent pool at kicker, punter and long snapper.
Performance bonuses are something every player strides to hit as they end every season. Xavier Woods stepped his game up in 2019 and was near the top of this lucrative list.
17.DALLAS COWBOYS — S ANTOINE WINFIELD JR., MINNESOTA
EE: The Cowboys get a good one here in the son of former Vikings and Bills do-everything cornerback and nickel defender. Winfield had a great Combine and has one of the highest projected playmaker rates (pass breakups plus interceptions) among safeties in this class.
12 free agents on defense for the Buffalo Bills to consider in free agency.
The NFL’s free agency period is slated to open on March 18 and the Buffalo Bills could be in business. The Bills signed cornerback Josh Norman this week, getting a head start on things.
But despite that signing, the Bills moved from the fourth-most to fifth-most salary cap space in the league, near $77.4 million, according to Spotrac. That’s a lot of room to move, and of course, room for big-named additions.
But in recent years, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott have had a thing for finding diamonds in the rough. Could the 2020 offseason have more of the same?
With that, here are 12 under-the-radar free agents on defense the Bills could consider adding:
Based on reports of interest in certain players via the draft and free agency, the Bills are looking to add to their defensive tackle position. There’s Star Lotulelei and Ed Oliver highlighting the group, but depth can be added behind them.
Collins, a former third-round pick, is likely to leave the team that drafted him, the Cowboys. Collins is a versatile player who can jump in the 1-tech or 3-tech positions on the defensive line for the Bills, but he’s probably more suited for the three spot. His Pro Football Focus grade reflects that, as his overall mark was a 65.2 grade (64th best) but his pass-rushing mark was a 77.7.
Maliek Collins, 24-years old is one of the most fascinating defensive line prospects that Mike Klis mentioned in his article.
He is young and give him a defensive guru like Vic Fangio, Collins can be a stud. Look at him straight line rush the passer on this play. pic.twitter.com/agg2CDwIaw
With a boatload of salary-cap space and a few positions of need, the Indianapolis Colts are one of the teams that has been linked to several free agents simply because of their resources.
General manager Chris Ballard has always played it relatively quiet in free agency with calculated moves and rarely spending up on a player. While some of that may change in theory before free agency starts, The Athletic predicted a quiet free agency for the Colts.
Using their top-100 free agents list as a reference, Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic predicted where each player on the list will land.
LT Anthony Castonzo
DE Robert Quinn
DT Maliek Collins
WR Nelson Agholor
While it would be nice to see the Colts try to make bigger moves in free agency, this outcome wouldn’t be a surprise at all. Ballard likes to pick his spots while building mainly through the draft—of which they currently have eight picks.
Castonzo is expected to return, and the Colts are working on his contract right now. That one is nearly a given.
The addition of Quinn is interesting because instead of trying to find a younger pass rusher with upside on the market, they instead go with a veteran opposite Justin Houston. Quinn had 11.5 sacks and 22 quarterback hits in 2019, the highest totals of his career since his All-Pro 2013 campaign.
Adding Collins to the mix is something to be expected as well. He won’t make top dollar on the market, and the Colts would be bringing in a solid run-stopper with limited upside as a pass rusher. He has experience working in the same defense as Matt Eberflus, which is a plus.
The Colts need wide receiver help, which is why Agholor seems to be a fit. He has experience working with Frank Reich and new wide receivers coach Mike Groh. Agholor has been less than impressive since entering the league as a first-round pick and his inability to produce as an outside wide receiver limits his upside. He’s intriguing if the Colts feel they need a slot wide receiver, but there appear to be better options on the market.
Seeing the Colts finally splurge on some big free agents would be fun, but don’t be surprised if they wind up coming out of free agency with a crop like this.
Also, backup plans for Dak Prescott, Michael Bennett eyes a Seattle return, Jaylon Smith talks business, and how coronavirus impacts Dallas.
Several Cowboys players are inching closer to new contracts, but some of them may be signed by other teams. Michael Bennett might be on his way out of Dallas, Byron Jones is a red-hot commodity, Amari Cooper may not be as sought-after as anticipated, and Robert Quinn’s status is a genuine wild card. And as Prescott Payday Watch drags on, some talking head-types are starting to kick around their thoughts on what the team should do if the starting quarterback holds out in a deal dispute.
All that, plus news on how the coronavirus is affecting team business, Blake Jarwin may be called on to step up, Jaylon Smith talks business, a Dallas wideout is in legal trouble, more mock drafts… and DeMarcus Ware shows he still has legitimate hops. Here’s the News and Notes.
Someone is about to break their piggy bank wide open for the Pro Bowl cornerback, but it almost certainly won’t be Jerry Jones as Byron Jones is expected to ink a deal worth between $16 and $18 million per season.
The Good Morning Football crew do a round-table discussion on what Plan B might look like if Dak Prescott gets into a training camp staredown with the owner.
Jason Witten’s 2019 stat line looked awfully close to the one he posted the last year he played while Blake Jarwin’s 2019 numbers, were nearly identical to the ones he compiled the year Witten was gone.
Sacks don’t tell the whole story for defensive ends (see: DeMarcus Lawrence), but the Cowboys would be hard-pressed to easily replace the 11.5 of them that Robert Quinn produced in 2019. To hear both Quinn and Jerry Jones tell it, neither wants the team to have to try.
On the other hand, if Quinn’s resurgence last season pushed his price tag beyond what the Joneses are willing to pay, there are more budget-conscious choices on the market.
After admitting to “several margaritas” during a traffic stop in Tampa for operating without headlights, the 2019 undrafted free agent was charged by police with driving under the influence.
The Pro Bowl linebacker tackles a different opponent in a column he’s written for USA Today, exploring the serious income disparity problem that many kids growing up in neighborhoods like Smith’s hometown face.
More mocks! Jon Machota and Saad Yousuf each take a stab at filling out the Cowboys roster with seven rounds’ worth of college talent. Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and cornerback Damon Arnette appear on both mocks, but it’s not all defense.
Can you believe my son said I’m old, can’t perform & that’s why I retired? Hurt my feelings a little bit, so Daddy Shark went up 🔝 to show him.
News and notes for all things Dallas Cowboys on March 6, 2020.
Between Dak Prescott, Byron Jones, Amari Cooper, and Robert Quinn the Cowboys have arguably the most talked about group of free agents across the league. This time of the year the media is filled with free agent rankings, projections, grades, much of which includes the Cowboy standouts. Read where the top quarterbacks might land, trade candidates for the Cowboys, and potential franchise tagged players.
At the focus of the Dallas free agency lies there two stars of the passing game, Prescott and Cooper. While most of what will happen is still completely unknown these links provide greater detail and clarity to the latest on the negotiations of both players, including a Prescott proposed offer and a contingency plan if the Cowboys can’t keep their star wideout as well. Here are the news and notes for March 6, 2020.
It’s no secret that the Cowboys have a terrifying amount of players scheduled to hit free agency in the 2020 off-season. It looks even worse when three of the team’s top flight guys are headlining every list. Take solace in the fact the No. 1 free agent in quarterback Dak Prescott isn’t going anywhere.
The Cowboys need to come to terms with their signal caller sooner or later as the deadline to place the tag on a player is March 12, but continue reading to see if the franchise tag is the best option to temporarily hold onto Prescott.
John Owning looks at the optimal routes the front office could take if the unthinkable happens. Spoiler alert: there’s four 2020 NFL Draft prospects to join the veterans on the list that could help replace some of Cooper’s production.
According to Bleacher Report, the best place for Prescott in 2020 is as quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. One way or another, Prescott will be wearing a star on his helmet come September.
The Falcons pass rush has not been good recently. One way to fix it in 2020 to get back into the hunt in the NFC South is by signing away defensive end Robert Quinn from the Dallas Cowboys.
Get to know another prospect the Cowboys could find themselves interested in come draft time, interior defensive lineman Justin Madubuike from Texas A&M.
Similarly to the news story above this, Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper’s contracts are discussed, but this goes through all the little details that will make signing the two Pro Bowlers a possibility.
The names listed here may all go for a higher price than a sixth-rounder Dallas spent for Quinn, but the Cowboys could have an eye on one of these veteran contributors.
Since 2019 sack leader Vic Beasley won’t be returning in 2020, Atlanta has a real need for a pass-rushing defensive end.
Only the Miami Dolphins recorded less sacks than the Atlanta Falcons last season. Since 2019 sack leader Vic Beasley won’t be returning in 2020, the team has a real need for a pass-rushing defensive end.
The best, cheapest option for the Falcons is to find a replacement for Beasley in the NFL draft. With free agency coming up first, though, let’s take a look at seven possible EDGE options that Atlanta could consider signing this offseason.
Analysis: Robert Quinn is still a very good player, recording a career-high 11.5 sacks in his ninth NFL season. He’ll turn 30 before the 2020 season begins and despite his top-level production, he isn’t going to command the kind of money that Clowney, Dupree and Fowler are likely to get on the open market. Quinn may still be slightly out of Atlanta’s price range, but he’s the exact kind of one or two-year stop gap that a team trying to get back to contention should be interested in.
